Oil Spill Facts for Sand Key Florida AreaThe media, rumors and just plain wrong information has been published about the oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico as it relates to Florida and specifically this area around Sand Key. The result has been people canceling vacations, rooms and planned activities throughout the state of Florida. That facts as we know them today are: Not a single drop of oil has reached any Florida shores. While it could happen if a major storm pushed the oil in our direction, at this point, there are no projections of that happening. The Gulf of Mexico is NOT closed to fishing. Only a small portion close to the mouth of the Mississippi River has been closed in the vicinity of the leaking oil rig. By the way, there are about 4000 oil rigs in the northern Gulf. Seafood is safe from Gulf waters and continues to be harvested in the majority of the Gulf. Most of the oyster beds in the northern gulf are not affected by the spill as of this date. Those beds are west of the Mississippi River. The spill moves daily in one direction or the other depending on the tides, winds and containment efforts. Our shores are over 200 miles from the closest point the spill has ever been projected to move in the last week. To keep abreast of the latest information, maps and projections the best source for accurate details is this link to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. The details on movements and latest environmental effects are updated on a regular basis.
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